Introduction
This document outlines the major steps and procedures used by the OPO website production team in the development of a website. The purpose of this document is to allow all members of a production team to understand their roles and responsibilities during the creation of a website. In addition, this document will act as a conduit to capture lessons learned from previous projects and incorporate process changes into future development efforts.
The process is broken down into six phases, each of which must be completed before the next can be started. The process is meant to be a guideline of how production will be conducted, but the production team may choose to deviate from this procedure if they determine the process is inappropriate for the project at hand.
In this stage, the customer’s objectives are articulated and the customer is given a written introduction to the overall production process.
The content development phase is where the project is organized and the major elements that will be included in the finished product are identified and explained. The information architect (IA) leads this phase of production and is responsible for exposing and recording the main points and elements of the project and defining any relationships between the content areas.
The production team clarifies the mission and the vision for the project, balancing the needs of the customer and those of the audience(s). The team maps out how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems, and identifies how the site/project will accommodate change and growth over time.
Decisions on how the information will be presented are not made here. Those decisions will be made in the design phase. Instead, the production team should focus on defining the underlying message and purpose of the site. If the content being produced requires that the audience sequentially step through the material, then that should be explicitly documented in this phase. It is often useful to produce examples or diagrams to explain the concepts in this phase, but these interpretations may or may not be integrated into the finished product. What will be integrated into the final product are the major concepts.
All of the discussions and decisions generated during this phase should be recorded in the Content Outline. This document will form the basis of all future work, and as such must be signed off by the customer before work proceeds onto the design phase.
This is where the real creativity happens. All the requirements set forth in the Content Outline are now developed into a mature Design Script that effectively communicates the message of the product to the audience. One key point to keep in mind is that neither the organizational structure nor any presentation concept outlined in the Content Outline needs to be replicated in the actual product.
New creative approaches to expressing the content should be explored. The design of the product should communicate the content as previously defined, but can differ vastly from how the content was organized in the Content Outline.
The Design Script can take many different forms. A portal site will have a very different script than a highly interactive website. There is no one right way to capture the intellectual output of the production team; let the needs of the product dictate the method of documentation used.
At the end of this phase the Design Script must contain nearly-final graphic designs and writing, and a description of all programming functionality (interactives, Flash movies, etc.) that will be developed during the production phase. The script should make very clear to the entire team (and external reviewers) what will be produced and how it will function.
Additionally, there may be design elements of the product that have to be tested for usability. This is especially true for interactive elements. It is best to create a rough working prototype that can be pilot tested before full-scale production begins.
Everything in the production process leads up to this phase where the team begins to create the finished web product. The Design Script serves as the blueprint for all development work. No script will ever be perfect, but the issues that will arise during this phase should be easily addressed and should be refinements, not a total overhaul of the design.
During the production phase there will be regularly scheduled reviews and status checks so the customer can observe the team's progress.
Managed by the Production Chief
During this phase the website is tested and reviewed to make sure it meets the original goals and objectives set forth in the content phase. Automated and manual tests are performed to verify that the site works under all targeted browsers and operating systems. The customer will conduct a final review of the product, noting any issues that should be addressed.
If desired, a usability test may be performed to see how the targeted audience reacts to the site's design, content, and functionality.
A master punch list will be generated that defines all changes (customer & Web/Print generated) that must be fixed prior to posting. Everything that was changed is then tested again and a final copyedit of the site is conducted.
During this time the site is locked down and no one should make changes that are not a part of the master punch list.
The final phase of most projects occurs after the website has been posted and is an opportunity for the team to share production issues with the larger Web/Print team. In addition, there are promotion materials that must be created to let the world know about the new website.
A content outline is a document that formally lists the objectives of a project. The objectives are based on the customer's needs. The content outline will ultimately be used as a guide, or checklist, for the customer and the Web/Print team to ensure that a project’s content and message stay focused and on course.
A good content outline offers the following advantages:
From the very beginning, the customer and all of the assigned Web/Print team members will contribute to a project. This process begins and ends with lots of communication. Whenever possible, members of the creative team should work together. Each needs the other. The customer may involve himself as much or as little as desired, but customer involvement at checkpoints is required.
Everyone will come together to gain an understanding of what the customer wants to do and how the project fits into the larger goals of OPO. The project will be scoped with emphasis on message, audience, budget, and time constraints. Use the following steps to help scope the project.
Information Gathering
The customer should gather as much information as necessary to help the team members thoroughly understand the subject. Understanding the subject is crucial because ideas and creativity come from what we know. We can‘t pull out of our heads what isn‘t in there.
Analysis
What is the problem? Be careful not to drift into decision making on format, color, and design elements before the problem has been identified. To get at the problem, ask the following questions:
Setting Objectives
After analysis, decide what the project should accomplish. Stay focused, be specific, and clarify the objective. Consider the following:
Setting objectives helps us know where to begin and when we’ve reached the end.
Once the broad objectives have been identified, it’s time to organize the content into its component parts. This is a place to document the discussions during the Information Gathering, Analysis, and Setting Objectives phases.
A Design Script is an idea or strategy for communicating the material contained in the content outline. It may include metaphors, analogies, or other devices to enhance the viewer’s understanding of the material that’s being presented. There may be more than one Design Script. Each potential idea will be presented in Design Script format, which can be thought of as a traditional design rough. The Design Scripts will be judged by the customer and the Web/Print team as to how well they communicate the content. The production team will implement the approved design.
Design Scripts offer the following:
Web/Print team members; in particular, the designer, writer, and programmer.
Generating design ideas is really a matter of exploration and experimentation. Ideas and creativity can come from imagination or mistakes. For guidance, use the information in the Content Outline to define parameters and judge how well the design solution fits the design problem. In the early design stages, never believe that we can come up with the best idea. We should always believe that we can do better. This mindset will move us beyond convenient, often trite ideas into more creative ones. Consider that we spend most of our time executing ideas. We certainly ought to make sure our ideas are worth execution.
There isn't a set template for a Design Script. A Design Script can take the form of sketches, storyboards, or any other means that effectively communicates the proposed idea. Design Scripts should encompass all decisions made for look and feel, writing, and functionality.
Judge the design for effectiveness (Is the message clear?) and aesthetics. In cases where there are gridlocks of opinions on aesthetics, the designer’s opinion should be granted more weight. Likewise, programmers should have more say about programming protocols, and the writer should be given principal authority on the copy’s tone.
The customer, of course, has the final word when determining how well a product meets his audience's needs.
1. Work fast. More is better. Write it all down, whether the ideas are good or bad. Refer to these thoughts as fuel concepts. Consider the benefits:
2. Follow an uncharted trail of ideas. This is the key to a new and unique solution.
3. Look to the obvious. Often the most brilliant ideas are readily apparent.
4. Go beyond the obvious. Obvious ideas may be good, but they may not be very innovative.
5. Define parameters or boundaries. Boundaries don’t really limit creativity; they narrow options to a manageable level and should serve as opportunities. Make sure they are fixed from the beginning.
6. Look to extremes and opposites. If something demands to be white, make it black. Exploring opposites can turn your first idea into many more.
7. Collaborate with a genius. You never have to work alone. Look to others outside the design field and ask how they would solve the design problem. Look for competent people. Use proven mental resources.
8. Know when to go for a walk. Decompress and let the subconscious work for you.
1. Evaluate your ideas. Allow ideas to soar, but be grounded by your objectives. Balance yourself between realism and creativity.
2. Review the design criteria.
3. Edit and eliminate:
1a) What is the mission/purpose of the website?
1b) Why will people come to this website?
2a) Who is the target audience?
2b) What is the knowledge level of your audience relative to your subject matter?
3a) How does this website fit within OPO's current web architecture?
4a) What is the vocabulary level of the text?
4b) What kind of writing voice should be used?
5a) What adjectives would you use to describe the site & how would you want the audience to perceive it?
5b) What visual style do you have in mind?
6a) What kind of connectivity do you expect the audience to have?
7a) Who are the primary contacts for this website?
7b) Who has sign-off authority?
7c) What is the launch date?
Pre-Production Phase
This phase begins prior to the first production team meeting. The customer completes a Defining the Job document, which categorizes the project and clearly defines its main goals and objectives.
Content Outline Phase
This phase is where the project is organized and the major elements that will be included in the finished product are identified and explained. The information architect (IA) is responsible for exposing and recording the main points/elements of the project and defining any relationships between the content areas.
The production team clarifies the mission and vision for the project. They map out how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems. The team will also identify how the site/project will accommodate change and growth over time. Decisions on how the information will be presented are not made here. Those decisions will be made in the design phase.
All of the discussions and decisions generated during this phase will be recorded in the Content Outline. This script will form the basis of all future work, and as such must be signed off by the customer before work proceeds on the design phase.
Design Script
This phase is where the real creativity happens. All the requirements set forth in the Content Outline are now developed into a mature Design Script that effectively communicates the message of the product to its audience.
New creative approaches to expressing the content should be explored. The design of the product must communicate the content as previously defined, but can differ vastly from how the content was organized in the Content Outline.
At the end of this phase the Design Script must contain near-final graphic designs and writing, as well as a description of all programming functionality (interactives, Flash movies, etc.) that will be developed during the production phase. The script should make it very clear to the entire team (and external reviewers) what will be produced and how it will function.
Production Phase
This is where the actual production of the project occurs. If we've done our homework well in the first three phases this should go very smoothly. We should only be implementing what the Design Script contains - no surprises here! During the production phase there will be regular reviews and status checks so the customer can observe the progress. The product of this phase will be a completed, functioning website with all elements included.
Post-Production Review & Cleanup Phase
During this phase the website is tested and reviewed to make sure it meets the original goals and objectives set forth in the content phase.
The customer will conduct a final review of the product, noting any issues that need to be addressed.
A master punch list will be generated that defines all changes (customer & Web/Print generated) that must be fixed prior to posting. Everything that was changed is then tested again and a final copyedit of the site is conducted.
Closeout Phase
This phaseoccurs after the website has been posted and is an opportunity for the team to share production-related issues with the larger Web/Print team and OPO. A Post-Game Debrief (lessons learned) meeting is held where team members capture and share the problems encountered during the website production.
An individual can hold multiple job titles in a project.
Production Chief: This person is responsible for the overall production of the product. The job is to make sure everyone else is ??????????
1) the individual who organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear; 2) a person who creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge
The IA's main tasks –
Clarify the mission and vision for the site, balancing the needs of its sponsoring organization and the needs of its audiences.
Determine what content and functionality the site will contain.
Specify how users will find information in the site by defining its organization, navigation, labeling, and searching systems.
Map out how the site will accommodate change and growth over time.
Web/Print staffers and customer staffers who are involved in the creation of the product.
Source: http://oponet.stsci.edu/web/Production/production-process/the-process-full-document.doc
Web site to visit: http://oponet.stsci.edu
Author of the text: indicated on the source document of the above text
If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly. Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. Examples of fair use include commentary, search engines, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship. It provides for the legal, unlicensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author's work under a four-factor balancing test. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use)
The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.
The texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.
All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes